Depp Flipped the Script With Trial Victory

►"You have seven individuals in a jury who bring with them their own baggage." Johnny Depp's resounding win in his defamation trial against Amber Heard is all the more remarkable given he had lost a similar libel case in November 2020 in the U.K. THR's Winston Cho writes that clout chasing influencers on social media churning out pro-Depp content, a nonsequestered jury and early dismissal were among the factors that led to the verdict in a Virginia court, upending all that had gone before in London's High Court. The analysis. 

—Retrenchment. HBO Max has canceled its sci-fi series Raised by Wolves after two seasons. The news comes two months after the show concluded its second season on the streamer. The cancellation comes shortly after the merger that formed Warner Bros. Discovery and in the wake of CEO David Zaslav looking to rein in costs. The story.

—No such thing as cancel culture. Disgraced comedian Louis C.K. is stepping up his efforts to return to the mainstream by releasing a new movie. C.K. announced on his website Friday that he’s directed, co-written and self-financed a new indie film, Fourth of July, that will play in "select theaters" in July. The story.

—Thriller. The opening of the 2022 NBA Finals scored for ABC. Game one of the series, a comeback 120-108 win for the Boston Celtics over the Golden State Warriors, drew 11.4 million viewers — the biggest audience for the series opener in three years, per preliminary Nielsen figures. The story. 

—Put it in the diary. The Producers Guild of America has set the date for its 34th PGA Awards, as well as key deadlines and events leading up to it. After taking place this year at the newly renovated Fairmont Century Plaza, the ceremony is headed back to its prior location, the Beverly Hilton, on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023. The dates. 

THR's Inaugural Sustainability Issue

►"We need to take action now." Despite the seeming inevitability of a cataclysmic climate crisis, there is still hope to turn things around. The entertainment industry is joining the fight to change the narrative on climate change, and as part of that community effort, THR's editorial director Nekesa Mumbi Moody introduces the inaugural Sustainability Issue. 

The digital-only Sustainability Issue debuts during the Environmental Media Association’s annual Impact Summit and includes initiatives launched by key studios, how celebrities are embracing (and profiting from) the push to go green, how sustainability efforts range from the personal to the professional, and more. The issue.  

'Top Gun 2' Heads for Record $85M 2nd Weekend

►Hypersonic. Top Gun: Maverick is showing no signs of slowing down, with the movie on course to pull in massive business in its second weekend after earning $25 million on Friday for a jet-fueled domestic total of $230 million. If estimates hold, the sequel will earn a total of $85 million or more in its sophomore outing to boast the smallest decline ever for a Memorial Day release — 33 percent — and finish Sunday with $290 million in domestic ticket sales.

THR's Pamela McClintock writes that on Saturday, Top Gun 2 became Tom Cruise’s top-grossing film domestically when passing up 2005’s The War of the Worlds ($243.3 million), not adjusted for inflation. That’s after zooming past the first Top Gun ($180.3 million) and Cruise’s Mission: Impossible films, including the last installment, Mission: Impossible — Fallout ($220.2 million). The box office report.

—The real heroes. The writers of the next Deadpool sequel are confident that the franchise will remain as irreverent as ever, despite 20th Century Fox being absorbed by Disney. In a recent interview, Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, who have writing credits on the first two Deadpool films and are working on the third for director Shawn Levy, said that joining the MCU will not change the overall feel that fans loved about the previous movies. The story. 

—A bit of class. THR's Borys Kit has the scoop on Dermot Mulroney closing a deal to join the cast of the next Scream sequel. The sixth film in the franchise is due to shoot this summer and will see Hayden Panettiere, who was one of the stars of 2011’s Scream 4, also returning. The story. 

Jason Katims on Why Authentic Casting Is Important

►"We needed to be witnessing real life." In a guest column for THR, As We See It showrunner Jason Katims writes about casting actors who identified as being on the autistic spectrum for the Amazon Prime Video series. The column. 

—"I feel very grateful to be a part of it." THR's Jackie Strause spoke to Stranger Things season four star Jamie Campbell Bower on how he prepped for the mysterious role and which of his co-stars were left "terrified." The actor also talked about how the Volume 1 finale changes the mythology of the hit Netflix series. Warning spoilers. The interview. 

—"It’s just so brilliantly written, and everything was on the page." We have more great Stranger Things content, this time THR's Ryan Parker spoke to season four breakout star Joseph Quinn who plays Eddie Munson. The Brit actor reveals that he crafted Eddie with some help from Black Sabbath and a touch of Les Miserables’ Enjolras and also teased what's in store for Volume 2. Warning spoilers. The interview.

—"[Unlikable] characters are fun to play because there’s a lot to them." THR's Christy Piña spoke to Under the Banner of Heaven star Wyatt Russell on how he got into the mindset of playing a “sociopath” but also tried to portray Dan Lafferty honestly. The actor also opened up about his experience playing unlikable characters. Warning spoilers. The interview. 

—"Harrowing but hopeful." THR film critic Leslie Felperin reviews Maksym Nakonechnyi's Cannes Un Certain Regard selection Butterfly Vision (Bachennya Metelyka). Rita Burkovska stars as a soldier who is captured by the enemy and must cope with post-traumatic stress disorder and more in this timely Ukrainian feature. The review. 

In other news...

—Maya Rudolph is a divorced billionaire finding herself (and saving the world) in Apple’s Loot trailer

—Leslie Jones on getting the call to join Our Flag Means Death

—Mandy Moore reveals she’s pregnant with second child

—Kim Kardashian addresses Met Gala weight loss criticism

—Dr. Oz wins senate primary race after rival concedes

—Animation guild organizer outlines renewed push to build labor power

What else we're reading...

—Another banger profile from E. Alex Jung, this time he gets to the core of Fire Island star Joel Kim Booster [Vulture]

—Dave Itzkoff interviews the always charming and fascinating Mark Rylance who talks Rooster Byron and his new film The Phantom of the Open [NYT]

—The WSJ has a comprehensive report on why Sheryl Sandberg quit Facebook/Meta, including a recent company investigation [WSJ] 

—Wendy Lee on Netflix pushing ahead with expanding Los Angeles-based production, despite recent cutbacks [LAT]

—What's the German word for schadenfreude?: "The great, slow-motion humiliation of Piers Morgan" [Slate]

Today...  

Today's birthdays: Angelina Jolie (47), Russell Brand (47),  Bruce Dern (86), Maria Bakalova (26), Oona Chaplin (36), Keith David (66), James Callis (51), Scott Wolf (54), Noah Wyle (51), Gustav Lindh (27), Tim Rozon (46), Izabella Scorupco (52), Robin Lord Taylor (44), Michael Greyeyes (55), Rob Huebel (53), Sean Pertwee (58), Josh McDermitt (44), Rebecca Henderson (42), Deniz Gamze Ergüven (44), El DeBarge (61)